Multiple motion processing machine



Nov. 27, 1962 c. o. MERCHANT ET AL 3,065,530

MULTIPLE MOTION PROCESSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, .1959

w r M m I C 1 m u n A 4 M w l I 04 I r 3 w.

Hill] llll] ATTORNEY c. o. MERCHANT ETAL 3,065,530

MULTIPLE MOTI QN PROCESSING MACHINE iN0v. 27, 1962 Filed July 1116 .1959

:ATIORNEN V/l/jI/IIIIIII/ Nov. 27, 1962 c. o. MERCHANT ETAL 3,065,530

MULTIPLE MOTION PROCESSING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTORS EHE$TER 0. MERCHANT B DO 'Gi-fi S /41 30 n Ame. KM

ATTORNEY Nov. 27, 1962 C. O. MERCHANT ETAL MULTIPLE MOTION PROCESSINGMACHINE Filed July 16, 1959 Sheets-Sheet 4 INDEX 52 APPROACH mm- TOOLESCAPE 5 Loan A ESCAPENENT A2 A3 c2 C? J nwsu. mum TO NEST FOR PART TOOR FIXTURE nova uvro J'AWS F163 I l j I 3 1 p 1 I 36 1 I III I L 3 F Ie. 4

INVENTORS (#5972511 0. MERC/IANT y 000444: L. SWAISa/V (a m f ATTORNEYNov. 27, 1962 c. 0. MERCHANT EF'AL 3,065,530

MULTIPLE MOTION PROCESSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 16 1959:

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1962 3,0655% MULTWLE MGTIGN PRGCESdlNGMACHINE Chester 0. Merchant and Douglas L. Swanson, Erie, Pa., assignorsto Swanson-Erie Corporation, Erie, Pan, a corporation of hennsylvaniaFiled July 16, 1959, Ser. No. 827,581 14 Claims. (Cl. 29-428) Thisinvention relates to assembly machines and, more particularly, tomachines adapted to assemble articles of manufacture made up of severalparts.

In assembling parts on automatic machines, it has been a practice tofeed parts down an inclined chute or track to a point immediately abovethe fixture into which the part is to be loaded. A plunger is used topush the part downwardly while either swingable or retractable gates arewithdrawn, permitting the part to escape and drop into position. Thismethod has disadvantages in that:

(l) Oftentimes, the part has an excessive distance to move downwardlywithout guidance or control, thereby permitting mislocation of the part;and

(2) The closeness of the cscapement to the fixture tends to block visualand physical access to the area so that the practical development aswell as the use of the machine is handicapped.

With the application of two individual moving sections, it makes itpossible to escape the part at a much lower level so that, often, thereis no free fall but, rather, the part is guided at all times so itcannot get mislocated. Also, in the retracted position, there issufficient clearance to inspect or even remove the part from the fixtureif desired.

The moving plates also tend to reduce the complications of an automaticmachine in that they may be used not only as a means of escaping partsbut, also, to actuate probes to see that parts have been loaded into thefixture as required and, also, as a means, in reverse, of unloadingparts assembled by the machine. The plates may also support rotatingspindle members to drill, tap, drive screws, or radially orient parts tobe fed into the fixture on the indexing table. Accomplishing all ofthese operations with only two cams is not normally possible using othertypes of machines.

The machine disclosed herein functions properly at all practicaloperating speeds with no danger of jamming and damaging the mechanisms.This is not the case when other means of actuation are applied. Othermachines and methods require elaborate safeguards to provide failsafeoperation.

During the assembly of articles of manufacture in machines in common usewherein it is necesary to place the article or a part thereof into anest like support member or fixture on the machine or where parts nestin each other or to assemble one part of the article with another partof the article already loaded in the machine nest, it is sometimesdifficult to move the articles properly into the nest one after theother without having some of the articles occasionally become jammedand, therefore, blocking the machine and interrupting the manufacturingoperation. It has been discovered that it is possible to solve thisproblem by providing a machine having relatively movable parts moving insynchronism with each other such as disclosed herein. The parts of themachine must move in such a way that one said part will place thearticle into the nest and bottom it in the nest while another part ofthe machine resiliently engages the article and applies a biasing forcethereon before the first part of the machine releases the article. Thiswill prevent the machine from jamming and will insure that all of thearticles will be loaded uniformly.

The machine may have a rotatable or otherwise movable table and thenests will be spaced around the outer portion of the upper side of thetable. Various assembling and finishing operations may be performed uponarticles of manufacture in the nests on the table. The articles can beloaded into the nests by means of the well known vibratory bowl feeders,manually or by other suitable means. Other well known methods offeeding, aligning, and loading can be used. Specific advantages of themachine disclosed herein are that ample clearance is provided for thenests and, therefore, complete accessibility, the articles beingprocessed face outwardly, and all parts of the machine are in completesynchronism with the drive.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide animproved assembly machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machinewherein one part of the machine will load articles in a nest and anotherpart will hold the articles in place while the first part of the machinereleases the articles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an assembly machinehaving a support and article assembling and supporting parts movingrelative to each other and to the support.

A further object of this invention is to provide an assembly machinewhich is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simpleand efiicient in operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood thatchanges may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of part of the machine taken on line 33of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view partly in cross section of a part of the accessoryequipment for use on the machine;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the accessory equipment shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the lower part of theapparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the accessory equipment shown in FIGS. 4 and 8;

FIG. 8 is an end view of the accessories shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a timing diagram of the machine.

Now with more specific reference to the drawings, a machine ltl is shownhaving a base 11 which constitutes the fixed frame of the machine 10. Amotor and drive assembly 12 is supported on the base 11 at one side ofthe machine Ill. The drive assemblv 12 has a shaft 13 extendinglaterally therefrom which is connected by a coupling 14 to a shaft 83 ofthe machine 10. Suitable bearings on the base 11 support the shaft 83.These bearings are held in place by means of a removable bearing plate15 which is attached to a side 16 of the machine housing.

A shaft 17 extends from the side of the machine 10 and is held in placeby bearings which are supported by a plate 18. The shaft 17 has a wormgear 81 keyed thereto as shown. A vertical shaft is supported at itslower end in a bearing 96 which is in turn supported on a core 92 bymeans of a plate 91. The plate 91 is which will be fixed to thetoolp1ate 35.

on and'is attached to the side or frame casting 16 by indexing rollers19 which engage a peripheral spiral groove in a cross over cam wheelwhich is supported on the shaft 17 concentric with the gear 81, moreparticularly shown in patent application Serial No. 812,032. Therotating table or work transfer means 36 is intermittently rotatedaround the shaft and the core 92.

It will be seen, therefore, thatwhen the shaft. 83 is parts, articleasthe nests are moved.

driven at a constant rate, the rotating table 36 wiilmove r whichreceives thelend of a helical spring 106. The.

56 and 57 and, therefore, toolplates or supports 34 and I 35 willmove upanddown relative to each other and relative to the rotating table 36 insynchronism with'the".

movement thereof.

Aconduit channel 159 is integral with a cap plate 151 and extends aroundthe top ofthe machine 1 0 to receive the wiring used for the electricalcomponents thereof.

The channellSO may have a removable cover 152.

An exemplary attachment which could be utilized with the machine tocarry out a particular manufacturing and in more detailin the otherfigures, including FIGS. 4, 5, '7, and 8. This attachment is made up ofarnechanism process is shown suppoitedon the machine ill in FIG. 1

forinsettingparts into nests which will be supported,

the first component part. i This mechanism will therefore preventrjamsinhandling the parts. The mechanism is U a pincers like member made up ofjaws 29 which grip the articles at their lower partsand upper ends. Thejaws 29 are actuated by a cam 22 which spreads the jaws 29 to releasethe article. A spring loaded ram 44' engages the article as it islowered. i i Thejlower part of the fixture is attached to the lowertoolplate or support by means of a bracket 26' which is attached to anupwardly extending bracket23 by means of studs 24. The bracket 23 has areinforcing flange 25 T An axle 37 is fixed to a boss 27, in turnintegral with the bracket 26. A grease fitting 23 provides lubricationfor the jaw members 29 which are rotatably supported on theaxle 37. asshown. The jaw members 29 have rollers 38 rotatably supported ,on theupper ends thereof which are engaged by the cam 22. The cam 22 has aV-shaped lower end and is supported on an upper fixture member 39. Theupper fixture member '39 has a bracket 40 which is fixed to a bracket 41in turn attached to the upper tool plate or support 34. The bracket 4t)is attached to the bracket. 41 by means of r studs 43. The

upper, fixture member 39 has the cylindricalram 44 slid ably supportedinfbushing s 45 and a head4 6 is attached .to the lower end of the ram44 by means of apin 47.

The head 46 is especially constructed to engage a part of an article andfor urging it down into the nest 2d.

The'cam 22 maybe adjusted by sliding it relative to the fixture 3%. Thiscan be accomplished by loosening stud 49 and a lock nut 74,. The cam22is supported on the fixture3f9 by means of the stud 4Q whichthreadably engages a hole in the fixture 39 and extends. through a slot,42 in the cam 22. Therefore, thecam: 22 can slide upwardly anddownwardly when the stud is. loosened.

A limit screw '73 is threadably supported in the fixture member 3% andmay be locked in a fixed position by the lock nut 74 to limit the upwardmovement of the cam. 22.

Jaws '75 are fixed to the lower ends of the jaws'29. The'jaws 75 extendoutwardly from the jaws 2d and have an article receiving portion 1%thereon. Threaded limit'members 1%1 maybe moved inwardly or outwardlyand locked in spaced relation to each other by nuts 19?; when the jaws'75 are closed. Each of the jaws 75 has a binding post 165 fixed theretoand the binding post 305 has, a peripheral groove on the outer endthereof spring "106 isa tension spring which urges the jaws 75 7 towardeach other. A' pin. 107 is fixed to the bracket.

26 and extends forwardly between the ends of the limit 7 members or stopscrews 1G1.

The jaws 75 are urged towardeach other. When the table 36 movesdownwardly, the V-shaped end of the cani22 is forced downwardly betweenthe rollers 38 and the jaWs 75 are thereby moved away from each otherto"releasethe article, 1

During operation, the table 36 will be indexed by the crossover cam gear31 to bring the nest 26 into position under the jaws 75. Then as theshaft $3; continues to rotate, the shaft 80 will rotate the cams 71 and79 tojbring i the tool plate 34 do-wnrelative to the tool plate 35 and tthe partheld' between the jaws '75. The plate 35 will not move at thispart of the cycle. This will bring the ram 44 into engagement with thearticle. The plates 34' and 35' will remain stationary and will not moveas the shaft -80 continues to rotate. Theplates 34 and 35 then will irnove down at the same rate, placing the article in the nest 20. ,Theplate 34 will then descend further and the. cam 22willthusmoverelativeto the plate 35 to cause vthe cam 22 to engage'the rollers 38. and(force the jaws '75 apart, releasing the part of the article. Then bothof the tool plates 34 and 35 will be raised and the rotating table 36will be indexed to another position where an additional operationcanbe'performed on the article as the tool plates raise and lower, aspointed out in column 1, lines34-44 hereofr The foregoing specificationsets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it isunderstood that the structure shown is capableof modification within arange of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to beunderstood is broadly novel as is commensurate manufacture, said supporthaving means thereon to move 4 in synchronism with said moving means forsaid first support, said first tool support having jaw means thereon forsupportingan article, said second toolsupport having a 7 spring loadedmember, saidcammeans moving saidsecondjtool support and, said springloade d member toward nests 20 are moved progressively by thecross-overcam .wheel totmove up parts or sub-assemblies of articles itthrough a plurality of positions adjacent an accessory member,saidaccessory member having a firstjtool support and a second toolsupport vertically spaced from each other and from said first support,and cam means rotated said first tool support whereby said article isbrought into 1. engagement with said nest members, said cam means being,further movable'into engagement with said jaw means to release saidarticle, said first and second tool supports being adapted to haveadditional accessory members thereon spaced from said accessory memberfor performing additional functions on said articles.

2. A method of assembling articles of manufacture comprising providing atable having nests rotatable in a circular path, providing a first toolplate and a second tool plate spaced vertically from each other and fromsaid table, providing accessories on said tool plates having jaw memberson one said tool plate and a spring loaded member on the other said toolplate, intermittently mov ing said table to cause each said nest todwell intermittently below said jaw members, moving said jaw memberswith an article supported thereby into engagement with said nest,bringing said spring loaded member into engagement With said articlesupported by said jaw members, and then bringing a release membersupported on said one tool plate into engagement with said jaw membersto release said article.

3. An assembly machine comprising a base, a vertical shaft on said base,a table rotatable around said vertical shaft, a first and a second toolplate supported on said machine and movable generally parallel to saidvertical shaft, cam means on said vertical shaft moving said tool platesrelative to each other and relative to said table, said table havingspaced article receiving nests thereon, index means operating insynchronisrn with said vertical shaft, said nests being movedintermittently into position below said tool plates, jaw means on onesaid tool plate for moving articles into said nests, resilient means,and release means on one said jaw means, said cam means moving said jawmeans to lower said articles into said nests, said cam means engagingmeans on said resilient means to move said resilient means intoengagement with said articles to resiliently hold them in said cam meansand further moving said release means into engagement with said jawmeans while said articles are engaged by said release means to releasesaid jaw means from said articles, said tool plates being adapted tohave additional means thereon spaced from said jaw means and actuated bythe movement of said tool plates for performing other operations on theparts of said articles in said nests.

4. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein an outwardly extending capplate is attached to the upper end of said vertical shaft and anoutwardly directed channel is attached thereto for receiving wires forelectrically wiring said machine,

5. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said resilient means comprisesa ram supported on said first tool plate and vertically slidablethereon, and means on said ram for engaging said articles supported bysaid jaw means, said resilient means urging said ram toward saidarticles.

6. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said release means comprises acam member on said first tool plate and follower means on said jawmeans, said cam means engaging said follower means releasing said jawmeans from said articles when said articles have been deposited in saidnests.

7. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said resilient means comprisesa ram supported on said first tool plate and vertically slidablethereon, and means on said ram for engaging said articles supported bysaid jaw means, said resilient means urging said ram toward saidarticles, said release means comprises a cam member on said first toolplate and follower means on said jaw means, said cam means engaging saidfollower means releasing said jaw means from said articles when saidarticles have deposited in said nests.

8. An assembly machine comprising a base, a vertically disposed shaf onsaid base, a table rotatable around said shaft in synchronism therewith,an upper tool support and a lower tool support each comprising tablesdisposed generally concentric to and around said shaft, means on saidmachine rotating said shaft, spaced article receiving means on saidtable, a cam means on said shaft, and follower means on said toolsupports, said tool supports being moved up and down in synchronism withthe rotation of said shaft, said tool supports being adapted to havemeans thereon for performing operations on parts of articles supportedin said article receiving means.

9. An assembly machine for assembling articles of manufacture made up ofa plurality of parts comprising a table having a surface disposed in aplane, means to move said table about an axis, two spaced supports onsaid machine, said spaced supports being movable relative to each other,each said support being disposed in a plane generally parallel to theplane of said table and having spaced means thereon to support componentparts of said articles, and means to move said supports relative to saidtable in synchronism with the movement of said table to process saidarticles.

10. The assembly machine recited in claim 9 wherein means is provided tomove said table about a common axis with the movement of said supportsand in synchronism with the movement of said supports, said table havingmeans thereon adapted to support part of articles of manufacture.

11. The machine recited in claim 9 wherein a shaft is disposed on saidcommon axis, cam means on said shaft, means to rotate said shaft,follower means on said supports engaging said cam means whereby saidsupports are moved relative to said table, and means to move said tablein synchronism with the movement of said supports.

12. The machine recited in claim 11 wherein the movement of said tableis an intermittent motion.

13. The machine recited in claim 12 wherein said supports are disposedon one side of said table and one said support is disposed between saidtable and the other said support.

14. A machine for processing articles comprising a first support, spacedarticle holder means on said support, means to move said first supportto cause said article holder means to move in a path, a rigid supportfor tools spaced from said first support, said rigid support for toolshaving means thereon for supporting tools at spaced positions, means tomove said rigid support relative to said first support in synchronismwith the movement of said first support to actuate said tools wherebyarticles supported on said first support are successively processed,said first support spaced from said rigid support and generallycoextensive therewith adapted to support tool means generallyequidistant from said first support to cooperate with tools on saidrigid support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS688,026 Marks Dec. 3, 1901 1,482,687 Kraft Feb. 5, 1924 1,675,382Reinhardt July 3, 1928 2,192,106 Ross Feb. 27, 1940 2,303,225 Olson Nov.24, 1942 2,405,074 Underwood July 30, 1946 2,670,705 Herrold Mar. 2,1954 2,850,737 Walsh Sept. 9, 1958

